WHITTIER, Calif. – The No. 21 Nationally Ranked Whittier College men's tennis team got their 2014 campaign underway Monday afternoon in the best comeback in the program's history as they came back from trailing 4-1 to edge No. 23 Bates 5-4.

In front of a crowd of almost 200, the Poets put together the most memorable comeback in Whittier College tennis history trailing 2-1 after doubles and then dropping two singles matches before rattling off victories in the final four singles match-ups to clinch the come from behind victory.

David Konstantinov and Chris Schommer who came into the match ranked No. 23 nationally in doubles ran into a roadblock falling 8-2 at No. 1 doubles against Timmy Berg and Pierre Planche. But the No. 2 duo of Samuel Farmer and Troy Chavez put the Poets on the scoreboard grabbing a late break to pull off an 8-6 victory over Peter Yanofsky and Ben Bogard.

At No. 3 Shogo Shimizu teamed up with freshman Mark Anthony Kenney but were unable to get back onto serve late as they fell 8-6 to Christopher Ellis and Eric Ruta.

Opening up singles play, Bates held onto a 2-1 lead and then extended it to 4-1 following victories at No. 4 and No. 6 singles. Only needing one win to secure the upset with four matches left, the Poets came up big sweeping the four singles matches led by Konstantinov at No. 1 who stunned Berg 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2, which was the decisive 5th point.

Trailing by three points, senior Schommer got the Poets into the win column winning at No. 2 over Planche 6-4, 7-6 (5) before Farmer wrapped up his straight sets victory at No. 3 over Yanofsky 7-5, 6-2. After cruising to a first set victory 6-3, freshman Chavez saw Brent Feldman fight back in the second to win 6-3 forcing a third set, which was all Chavez as he rolled to the 6-1 win at No. 5.

Whittier returns to the court this Friday, February 21 as they travel down to San Diego to take on the Tritons of UC San Diego beginning at 2:00pm.